Portable panel punching tools



Sept. 20, 1966 'r. ANNES 3,273,241

PORTABLE PANEL PUNCHING TOOLS Filed Sept. 16, 1965 '7 I 20 PIE 20 Q:\ Myr13 A" X V q 1 I 1 4 I ,7 s

L I F 2 IO 2 I7 28 27 11 Fzugpfl INVENTOR. TOWNSEND ANNES ATTORNEYUnited States Patent 3,273,241 PORTABLE PANEL PUNCHING TODLS TownsendAnnes, 1550 Detroit, Apt. 3E, Denver, Colo. Filed Sept. 16, 1965. Ser.No. 487,873 3 Claims. (Cl. 30360) This invention relates to a portablepunching tool and is more particularly intended for use by electronicmechanics for punching rectangular instrument holes in cabinet panels.

Certain types of electrical instruments such as toggle switches andslide switches require an elongated rectangular hole to be formed in theinstrument panel for actuation of the switch button. The switches areconventionally held in place by screws passing through the panel, andthe rectangular switch button holes and the round screw holes must becarefully and accurately formed and positioned relative to each other topresent a neat workmanlike, and carefree assembly of the final panel.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple and highlyeflicient punching tool which can be readily moved about and positionedat desired locations on the panel to accurately provide the necessaryopenings therein for mounting the required instrumentation thereon.

A further object is to provide a light weight punch that can be used inrestricted places for forming switch openings in cabinet panels inaccurate relative spacing to screw openings therein to facilitateassembly of instrument cabinets.

A still further object is to provide a punch which will eliminate thenecessity for presses and other actuating devices.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference ismade to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Likenumerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughoutthe description.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a type of toggle switch such as usually employed oninstrument panels and for the installation of which the presentinvention is particularly adapted;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a typical instrument panelshowing the switch of FIG. 1 in place thereon;

FIG. 3 is a similar view of the panel of FIG. 1 showing the openingsthat are necessary in the panel for the mounting of the switch of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a punch element as used in thisinvention;

FIG. 5 is a similar view of a punch guide block for guiding the punchelement of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a similar view of a die plate for use with punch element ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an assembled view showing the guide block and die plate, insection, upon an instrument panel with the punch element of FIG. 4 readyfor actuation; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the punch tool assembly as it wouldappear after actuation on the panel of FIG. 7.

Conventional elements are designated by numerals as follows: instrumentpanel 10; toggle switch 11; toggle switch button 12; switch screwsockets 13; and switch attachment screws 14. To install the switch 11 onthe panel 19 it is necessary that the latter by provided with screwholes 15, spaced to correspond to the spacing of the screw sockets 13,and with a rectangular opening 16 accurately aligned and positionedbetween screw holes 15 to receive the switch button 12.

The punching tool of this invention comprises three, light weight,economical, easy to use elements, to wit, a die block 17, a punchaligning plate 18 and a punch 19.

The die block is an elongated block preferably of a tool steel fromwhich two guide pins 20 project in perpendicular parallel relation. Theguide pins 20 are spacedapart in correspondence to the spacing of thescrew socket 13 in the switch 11 and are each permanently anchored, atone extremity, in any suitable manner such as press fitted, in the block17. An elongated, rectangular shearing opening 21, corresponding to theopening 16, is formed through the block 17 intermediate and in alignmentwith the pins 20.

The punch aligning plate 18 preferably corresponds in size and shape tothe die block 17 and is provided with an elongated, rectangular,punch-aligning opening 22 and with pin receiving openings 23. Thepunch-aligning opening 22 corresponds in size, shape and position to theopening 21 in the die block 17 and the .pin receiving openings 22correspond in position to the pins 20 and are of a size tosimultaneously slide, without play, along the pins 20 to align theopening 22 with the shearing opening 21.

The punch 19 is an elongated rectangular bar, preferably of tool steel,having a cross section to act in shearing relation to the die blockopening 21 and with its cutting extremity, as indicated at 24, ground ina broad, inverted- V-shape to initiate cutting at the narrow sides ofthe bar.

The punch is preferably provided with .a punch guide plate 25 fixedlymounted thereon intermediate the extremities thereof. The plate 25 isprovided with pin openings 26 which are spaced and positioned relativeto the punch 19 in correspondence with the punch aligning plate 18.

Let us assume that it is desired to install one of the switches 11 inthe panel 10. A suitable template showing the position of the screwsockets 13 is placed on the panel and the holes 15 are drilled thereinat the indicated points. The die block 17 is then positioned against theinside face of the panel with the pins 20 projecting through the panel.

The punch aligning plate 18 is placed on the projecting pins 20 and isslid against the outside face of the panel. The cutting extremity 24- ofthe punch 19 is now inserted in the aligning opening 22 of the aligningplate 18 and against the panel with the pins 20 in position in the pinopenings 26 of the guide plate 25, as shown in FIG. 7.

The die block is then positioned over a suitable opening in a convenientanvil, such as indicated in broken line at 27, and the punch 19 isstruck a single sharp blow with a conventional mallet, or otherconvenient tool, to drive the cutting extremity of the punch through thepanel and through the die block to accurately punch a rectangular blank28 therefrom to form the opening 16 in the panel in proper relation tothe screw holes 15 therein, as shown in FIG. 8.

The switch 11 is now secured in place against the back of the panel bymeans of the screws 14 with the switch button 12 projecting through thepunched opening 16, as shown in FIG. 2.

Since the pins 20 are perpendicular to the plane of the die block 17 theopening 22 in the aligning block 18 will be accurately aligned with theshearing opening 21 in the die 'block 17 and the punch 19 will beaccurately supported in a perpendicular position by the guide plate 25,the resulting punched hole 16 will be clean, smooth and accurate.

While the shearing tool of this invention is designed for cutting anelongated rectangular opening between J3 and in alignment with two screwopenings in a panel, the punch and the punch openings could have anydesired cross section to produce openings of other shapes for otheruses. The tool is adaptable for use on relatively thin metal panels oron composition or plastic panels.

While a specific form of the invention has been described andillustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be variedwithin the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. A punching tool, for punching a rectangular opening between two screwholes in a panel, comprising:

(a) a die block having a shearing opening corresponding in shape to thedesired rectangular opening and adapted to be positioned against oneface of said panel;

(b) a guide pin fixed in said die block at each side of said shearingopening and adapted to be inserted through the screw holes in said panelso as to project perpendicularly from the other face of said panel inparallel relation;

() a punch-aligning plate having an aligning opening corresponding tosaid shearing opening and pin openings to receive said projecting pinsand adapted to be positioned against the other face of said panel withsaid pins acting to maintain the aligning opening and the shearingopening in alignment with each other; and

G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner.

(d) an elongated punch corresponding in cross-section to said aligningand shearing openings adapted to be inserted in said aligning openingand driven through said panel into said shearing opening.

2. A punching tool as described in claim 1 having:

(a) a punch guide plate aifixed to said punch at right angles to theaxis and intermediate the extremities thereof said punch guide platehaving pin openings spaced and positioned to receive said guide pins formaintaining said punch in parallel relation to said pins when said punchis in position in said aligning opening.

3. A punching tool as described in claim 2 in which the panel-contactingextremity of said punch has a relatively wide, inverted V-shaped cuttingnotch so that cutting will be initiated at the narrow sides thereof whensaid punch is-dri-ven through said panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,491,464 4/1924Coomer 83-637 2,145,725 1/ 1939 Jamieson. 2,830,662 4/1958 Marcum 83637X FOREIGN PATENTS 851,760 12/ 1940 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

1. A PUNCHING TOOL, FOR PUNCHING A RECTANGULAR OPENING BETWEEN TWO SCREWHOLES IN A PANEL, COMPRISING: (A) A DIE BLOCK HAVING A SHEARING OPENINGCORRESPONDING A SHAPE TO BE POSITIONED AGAINST ONE FACE OF SAID ADAPTEDTO THE POSITIONED AGAINST ONE FACE OF SAID PANEL; (B) A GUIDE PIN FIXEDIN SAID DIE BLOCK AT EACH SIDE OF SAID SHEARING OPENING AND ADAPTED TOBE INSERTED THROUGH THE SCREW HOLES IN SAID PANEL SO AS TO PROJECTPERPENDICULARY FROM THE OTHER FACE OF SAID PANEL IN PARALLEL RELATION;(C) A PUNCH-ALIGNING PLATE HAVING AN ALIGNING OPENING CORRESPONDING TOSAID SHEARING OPENING AND PIN OPENINGS TO RECEIVE SAID PROJECTING PINSAND ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED AGAINST THE OTHER FACE OF SAID PANEL WITHSAID PINS ACTING A MAINTAIN THE ALIGNING OPENING AND THE SHEARINGOPENING IN ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER; AND (D) AN ELONGATED PUNCHCORRESPONDING IN CROSS-SECTION TO SAID ALIGNING AND SHEARING OPENINGSADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN SAID ALIGNING OPENING AND DRIVEN THROUGH SAIDPANEL INTO SAID SHEARING OPENING.